THE Ouija is a flat board marked with the alphabet, numbers and the words “Yes”, “No” and “Goodbye” and used to contact dead spirits. The spirit “answers” by moving a piece of wood over the alphabet and numbers on the board.
Entrepreneur Charles Kennard and attorney Elijah Bond formed the Kennard Novelty Company to produce the “talking boards.” Legend has it that they asked the board what they should name it.
In reply, it had spelled out “O-U-I-J-A”. When asked what it meant, it spelled “G-O-O-D L-U-C-K”.
The board has inspired this supernatural thriller that tells of a Ouija board game gone wrong.
There are only three rules: Never play alone, never play at a graveyard and always end a session with a goodbye.
Laine (Olivia Cooke) is distraught after learning about the sudden and gruesome death of her best friend Debbie (Shelley Hennig).
The fearless yet vulnerable teen is unable to accept the truth, drowning in guilt as she keeps thinking that she could have prevented the tragedy.
While dealing with the loss, Laine comes across clues that reveal the reasons behind Debbie’s death.
She talks her sister Sarah (Ana Coto), her boyfriend Trevor (Daren Kagasoff), Debbie’s boyfriend Pete (Douglas Smith) and their good friend Isabella (Bianca Santos) into joining her for a Ouija board session.
She hopes to find closure by contacting Debbie in the spirit world.
During their first session, they get a response — “hi, friend” — but little do they know that it isn’t their deceased friend’s spirit who is communicating with them.
The film has an indie feel to it, partly thanks to its not-so-well-known cast, but it turns out to be a delightful surprise.
Although the Ouija board is overused in the horror genre, husband-and-wife screenwriting team Stiles White and Juliet Snowden offer an interesting back story in the film that complements the Ouija board theme.
The story isn’t complicated and is unveiled gradually as it takes different turns.
The five teens start experiencing things that they can’t explain, but they know it is caused by their Ouija board session.
The viewers are just as baffled as Laine as she steadfastly tries to uncover the mystery behind Debbie’s death.
Imagine her horror upon finding out that Debbie had awakened a powerful curse before dying.
By attempting to communicate with Debbie, Laine and the rest are pulled into the horror as well.
Here, White effectively builds suspense and scares with nicely constructed scenes. There are some gruesome scenes that are reminiscent of those in the Final Destination film series, but they are not too gory.
Most of the scenes are filmed at night, and the Ouija board sessions are just lighted by flashlights.
The lack of light is a plus that adds mystery to the scary scenes.
Furthermore, Ouija has relatable characters. Laine’s angst is perfectly understandable, so that helps you connect with the story better.
Cooke does a wonderful job portraying the conflict as she grapples with harsh reality.
Throughout the film, you will see flashbacks that further explain the friendship between Laine and Debbie.
The other cast members do a commendable job too, and together they make a strong team.
Fans of Hollywood horror films will be thrilled to see a familiar face, Lin Shaye, who starred in the Insidious series by film legend James Wan.
Although her role is small she leaves a chilling impact on viewers with her simple yet meaty performance.
The film doesn’t focus much on character development, but rather on expanding the story, which is perfectly fine.
It is strange, however, there is so little adult intervention with all of the horrid things happening. Where are the adults when the teens are battling an unknown force?
Ouija has most of the ingredients for a perfect horror movie — engaging storyline, relatable characters and most importantly, effective scares.
Horror movie fans should give this film a try. Viewers will learn that nothing good comes from communicating with the dead, even though it may start off as just fun and games.
NOW SHOWING
OUIJA
Directed by Stiles White
Starring Olivia Cooke, Daren Kagasoff, Douglas Smith, Bianca Santos, Ana Coto
Duration: 89 minutes
Rating: 18